Frame structure

ABSTRACT

A main frame structural unit is assembled by ladder-like column assemblies or trusses and brace-beam members bolted to the column assemblies or trusses with lateral or horizontal splice members, and a plurality of ladder-like column assemblies or trusses spaced apart from the main frame structural member are connected thereto and to each other through connection beams which are bolted to the main frame structural member and the ladder-like column assemblies or trusses.

' United States Patent 1191 Matsushita et a1.

[ June 25, 1974 1 1 FRAME STRUCTURE [75] Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsushita, Kawasaki;

Akihiko Miura; Takeshi Uemura, both of Tokyo-to; Kanji Katoh, Funabashi, all of Japan [73] Assignee: Ishikawajima flarin adultog o Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo-to,-.lapan 221 Filed: July 26,1971 [211 Appl.No.:169,570

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,495,371 Mitchell 52/252 3/1970 Durand 52/637 3,708,933 1/1973 Yang 52/236 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 567,451 12/1923 France 52/252 1,379,686 10/1964 France 52/252 164,970 9/1955 Australia... 52/637 509,184 1/1955 Canada 52/637 541,642 Italy 52/637 Primary ExaminerHenry C. Sutherland Assistant Examiner-James Lee Ridgill, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or- Firm-Albert C. Nolte, Jr.; Edward B. Hunter; C. Bruce Hamburg [5 7] ABSTRACT A main frame structural unit is assembled by ladder like column assemblies or trusses and brace-beam members bolted to the column assemblies or trusses with lateral or horizontal splice members, and a plurality of ladder-like column assemblies or trusses spaced apart from the main frame structural member are connected thereto and to each other through connection beams which are bolted to the main frame structural member and the ladder-like column assemblies or trusses.

9 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJuN251s74 SHEET 1 0F 5 I III I.

NIH-HI. figiir fi FIG. I

INVENTORS M I TSUHIRO MATSUSHI TA AKIHIKO MIURA TAKESHI UEMURA KANJI KATOH ATTORNEYS PATENIEUJUNZSIQM sum 2 or 5 INVENTORS MI TSUHIRO MATSUSHI TA AKIHIKO MIURA TAKESHI UEMURA KANJI KATOH BY 7M ATTORNEYS SHEET 3 BF 5 INVENTORS MITSUHIRO MATSUSHITA AKIHIKO MIURA TAKESHI UEMURA KANJI KATOH BY FIG. 4

PATENTEI] JUN2 51974 SHEET [If 5 INVENTORS MITSUHIRO MATSUSHITA AKIHIKO M/URA TAKESHI UEMURA KANJI KATOH BY 7/946 5 7/422 ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUHZEW 3.818.671

sum 5 or 5 INVENTORS MITSUHIRO MATSUSHITA AKIHIKO MIURA TAKESHI UEMURA KANJI KATOH BY WQW MQ ATTORNEYS FRAME STRUCTURE In building an industrial cooling water tower or the like with pre-fabricated concrete structural members or steel structural members,

a. the external load applied to the structure is distributed among all of the structural members such as beams and columns so that they must have a sufficient cross sectional area and the concrete structural members must be reinforced; and

b. the main column and beam members are generally fabricated and assembled in a factory and transported to an erection site or they are fabricated in the factory and transported to the erection site where they are assembled so that a large number of joints must be welded at the field by skilled workmen with welding equipment.

The rationalization of reinforced concrete works is lagging far behind the other techniques used in building construction. 7

The present invention relates to a frame structure comprising prefabricated reinforced concrete structural members or steel structural members, which frame structure may be used in building an industrial cooling water tower or the like and may rationalize the reinforced concrete works. Briefly stated the frame structure of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of main frame structural units are assembled by arranging, in a predetermined spaced-apart relation, ladder-like column assemblies, each of which comprises a plurality of structural members bolted to gether in the longitudinal direction with longitudinal splice members, interposing brace-beam members of given form between the opposed laddenlike column assemblies and bolting said brace-beam members through splice members to said ladder-like column members; a plurality of ladder-like column assemblies are disposed around each of said main frame structural units and spaced apart therefrom by a predetermined distance and connected thereto through'connection beam members which are bolted to said main frame structural unit and said ladder-like column assemblies; and said'ladder-like column assemblies disposed outside of said main frame structural units are connectedto each other through connection beam members bolted thereto and are also connected to said main frame structural members through connection beam members bolted thereto and to said ladder-like column assemblies. g i A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated and described with reference to the accompanying drawing. 3

FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a main frame structural unit thereof;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view on enlarged scale illustrating the connection between the upper and lower structural members of a ladder-like column assembly; 7

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the connection between the ladder-like column assembly and a brace-beam member; v

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of preassembled intermediate column members of the ladder-like column assembly as shipped from a factory;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the connection between the ladder-like column assembly and a connection beam member;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the frame structure of the present invention illustrating a reinforcement method;

FIGS. 8A, B, C and D are top views illustrating some other embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a variation of the intermediate column member of the ladder-like column assembly.

A frame structure in accord with the present invention generally comprises a plurality of ladder-like column assemblies 1, a plurality of brace-beam members 5, and a plurality of single connection beam members Each of ladder-like column assemblies comprises an upper column member 2, five I-I-shaped intermediate column members 3 each having a pair of longitudinal frames 3' and a transverse frame 3", and a lower or base column member 4. All of thecolumn structural members 2, 3 and 4 are made of concrete and joined together into the ladder-like column assembly 1 by means of connection members to be described in detail hereinafter by reference to FIG. 3.

Each of the brace-beam members 5 comprises a pair of vertically spaced apart beams and a pair of braces as best shown in FIG. 2. These brace-beam members 5 are also made of concrete and interposed between the ladder-like column assemblies so. as to form a main frame structural unit a.

The single connection beam members 6 are used to connect the adjacent ladder-like column assemblies and the main structural units with the ladder-like columnassemblies disposed outwardly thereof by means of connection members to be described in detail hereinafter withv reference to FIG. 6.

These ladder-like column assemblies 1, the bracebeam members 5 and the connection beam members 6 are arranged as for example shown in FIG. 1 to form an appropriate number of main structural units a depend ing upon a load which the frame structure must withstand.

In the figures, reference numeral 7 designates a recessor hole formed in an end-connection member 9 which is fixed to the upper end of the longitudinal frame 3' or 4 of the intermediate or lower column member 3 or 4; 8, a projection extending downwardly from an end-connection member 10 which is fixed to the lower end of the longitudinal frame 3 or 2' of the intermediate or upper column member 3 or 2, the projection 8 being adapted to fit into the recess or hole 7 of the end connection member 9; ll, bolt holes formed through the leg portions of the end-connection member 9; l2, bolt holes formed through the leg portions of the end-connection member 10; and 13, a longitudinal splice piece or member provided with bolt holes 14 which register or are aligned with the bolt holes II and 12 of the end-connection members 9 and 10 when the projection 8 is fitted into the recess or hole 7. When the upper, intermediate and lower column members 2, 3 and 4 are joined together with bolts and nuts 16 splice members 13 are fixed to both sides of the column members. Thus the ladder-like column assembly or truss 1 may be formed. Reference numeral 15 designates a lateral splice member used for bolting the brace-beam member 5 to the ladder-like column assembly 1; and

17, an angle used for bolting the connection-beam members 6 to the ladder-like column assemblies 1.

Next the method for erecting an industrial cooling water tower with the frame structure of the present invention will be described. As described above, the upper, intermediate and lower column members 2, 3 and 4, the brace-beam members 5 and the single connection-beam members 6 are fabricated previously from concrete in a factory, and are erected by bolting at the erection site. The intermediate column members may be joined together to a suitable length (three members are shown in FIG. 5 as being pre-assembled) with which the pre-assembled intermediate column members 3 may be transported from the factory to the field.

As shown in FIG. 3, the projections 8 of the intermediate column members 3 are fitted into the recesses or holes 7 at the upper ends of the adjoining intemiediate column members 3, and then the upper and lower intermediate members 3 are bolted together with the connection members 9 and 10, the splice members 13 and the bolts and nuts (not shown). The bolt holes 14 of the splice members 13 are accurately aligned with those of the connection members 9 and 10 and the intermediate column members 3, and the bolts are fitted into these aligned bolt holes ll, 12 and 14 and firmly retained in position with nuts.

In a similar manner, the upper column member 2 and the lower column member 4 may be joined to the upper and lower ends of the pre-assembled unit of the intermediate column members 3. Thus, the ladder-like column assembly or truss 1 may be assembled. When a higher height is required, a number of intermediate column members 3 may be increased.

Next, two ladder-like column assemblies or trusses l are erected in a predetermined spaced-apart relation with each other, and the brace-beam members 5 are interposed between the column assemblies 1 and bolted thereto through the lateral splice members 15 and the bolts and nuts 16. Thus the main frame structural unit a is assembled or erected. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the present invention ensures the rigid connections and simple erection or assembly procedure. That is, the brace-beam members 5 are bolted to the longitudinal frames 3 of the ladder-like column assemblies 1 in such a manner that the joints between the upper and lower longitudinal frames 3' and also between the longitudinal frames 3' and the lateral frames 3" may be interposed between a pair of upper and lower joints between the brace-beam members 5 and the ladder-like column assemblies 1. The brace-beam members 5 are bolted to the longitudinal frames 2, 3' and 4 with the bolts and nuts 16 through the splice members 15 that are fixed on both of the opposing sides of the longitudinal frames and the horizontal beams of the brace-beam members 5.

Four main frame structural units assembled in the manner described above are erected as shown in FIG. I, and a plurality of ladder-like column assemblies or trusses 1 are also erected ina predetermined spacedapart relation with respect to each other and to the four main frame structural units a, and then joined to each other through the connection beam members 6. Thus the frame structure as shown in FIG. 1 is erected.

The single connection-beam 6 is joined to the longitudinal frame 3' of the ladder-like column assembly or truss 1 of the unit opposite to the joint between the brace-beam member 5 and the longitudinal frame 3 as best shown in FIG. 6. That is, the connection beam 6 is joined to the longitudinal frame 3' with the angle 17 and the bolts and nuts 16. The beam 6 is joined to the longitudinal frame 3 opposite to the joint between the horizontal or lateral and longitudinal frames 3" and 3' with the angle 17 and bolts and nuts 16. Thus the main frame structural units a which support the load are reinforced. In order to ensure the rigid connections and to simplify the erection, the connection beams 6 are joined to the longitudinal frames 2', 3 and 4 of the column members 2, 3 and 4 in such a manner that the joints between these column members 2, 3 and 4 may be interposed between a pair of vertically spaced apart connection beams 6 as in the case of the connection of the brace-beam members 5 to these column members 2, 3 and 4.

A frame structure in accord with the present invention may be assembled as shown in FIGS. 8A, B, C and D. That is, depending upon the external load, height and other various installation demands the main frame structural units may be varied in combination and position as shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, in order to enhance the rigidity, a block connection beam shown by the imaginary lines in FIG. 7 may be used instead of the single connection-beam 6. In this case, such block connection beam members and the brace-beam members 5 may be alternately arranged.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate column member 3 may have more than two horizontal or lateral frames instead of the H-shaped frame 3 having only one horizontal or lateral frame 3". When such intermediate members or trusses are employed, a number of joints may be reduced so that the rigidity may be improved and that the saving in labor may be attained.

In the preferred embodiments described above, the column members 2, 3 and 4, the brace-beam members 5 and the single connection-beam members 6 have been described as being the concrete members prefabricated in the factory, but it is understood that these members may be made of steel and that modifications and variations may be effected without departing the scope of the present invention.

In summary, the present invention has the following advantages:

i. All of the structural members are joined with the bolts and nuts and splice members without employing welding so that a number of joints to be made at an erection site may be reduced and that the structural members may be fabricated with a sufficiently higher degree of accuracy in the factory, whereby the assembly on the erection site may be made without closer dimensional controls. Therefore, the frame structure of the present invention may be erected by less-skilled workmen in a short time yet with a high degree of accuracy;

The sectional area of the main frame structural units remain unchanged even when the load applied to the frame structure is varied due to the variation in external load and height and to other installation requirements. The load may be uniformly distributed by selecting an appropriate number of these main frame structural units and an appropriate combination thereof;

iii. All of the structural members are lying in a single plane like a truss as described in (i) and (ii) above so that the mass-production becomes possible.

v Therefore, the quality may be improved and the on transportation including the traffic regulations and of a space at the erection site may be over v corned in a simple manner; and iv. The joints between the column structural members of the ladder-like column assemblies, between the brace-beam members and the ladder-like column members and between the ladder-like column members and the single connection beam members are spaced apart from each other so that the assembly and erection may be simplified while the structural members may be joined accurately and positively. Furthermore, the positive rigid connections may be ensured because the simple structural connection members are employed, and the effect of the skip floor may be attained in the construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A frame structure comprising a pre-fabricated concrete first frame element, said first frame element comprising a pair of spaced sides and at least one lateral cross piece connecting said sides intermediate the ends thereof, said sides having outer and inner surfaces and end surface means extending therebetvveen, means for reinforcing and for interconnecting said spaced 7 ends of said first element to and for aligning the same with the spaced ends of a like element, said last mentioned means having spaced, opposed sides extending substantially coplanar with said outer and inner concrete side surfaces of said element from and adjacent to said end surface means for aligning said ends to the ends of a like element and means for connecting said opposed sides of said reinforcing, interconnecting and aligning means, said connecting means extending between and connecting said opposed sides and being embedded in the concrete of said spaced ends for reinforcing the same and defining channel means for receiving fastening means therethrough for interconnecting said ends to the ends of a like element.

2. The frame structure of claim 1, wherein several of said first elements are interconnected at abutted ends thereof, said interconnecting means further comprising plates having holes aligned with said channel means in adjacent element ends and fastening means. extend through said holes and channel means for securing said plates and said ends together.

3. The frame structure of claim 1 wherein individual interconnecting means are U-shaped, the transverse portion of the U being substantially flat and extending across a respective end of said element for flat abutment with like elements.

4. The frame structure of claim 3 wherein at least two said first elements are interconnected at abutted ends thereof, said abutted ends having respective complimentary projecting and recess means for interfitting alignment thereof.

5. The frame structure of claim 1, wherein at least a pair of said first frame elements are interconnected at abutted ends thereof and are both interconnected intermediate their ends to the ends of a brace beam frame element, the latter extending in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the first element and comprising a pair of spaced apart beams and V-shaped braced means for connecting the beams intermediate the ends thereof at the apex and ends of said V-shaped braced means.

6. The frame structure of claim 5, wherein a plurality of opposing first frame elements and opposing brace beam elements are interconnected to form a main frame unit.

7. The frame structure of claim 6, comprising a plurality of main frame units arranged in a predetermined spaced apart relation and means are provided for connecting said main frame units in said spaced apart relation.

8. The frame structure of claim 7, wherein said last named means comprise prefabricated concrete beams connecting said units in planes parallel to the planes of said brace beam frame elements and said first frame elements.

9. The frame structure of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of columns of first frame elements interconnected at abutted ends and disposed exten'orly of said main frame units and means connecting said columns to said units and to one another in spaced relation. 

1. A frame structure comprising a pre-fabricated concrete first frame element, said first frame element comprising a pair of spaced sides and at least one lateral cross piece connecting said sides intermediate the ends thereof, said sides having outer and inner surfaces and end surface means extending therebetween, means for reinforcing and for interconnecting said spaced ends of said first element to and for aLigning the same with the spaced ends of a like element, said last mentioned means having spaced, opposed sides extending substantially coplanar with said outer and inner concrete side surfaces of said element from and adjacent to said end surface means for aligning said ends to the ends of a like element and means for connecting said opposed sides of said reinforcing, interconnecting and aligning means, said connecting means extending between and connecting said opposed sides and being embedded in the concrete of said spaced ends for reinforcing the same and defining channel means for receiving fastening means therethrough for interconnecting said ends to the ends of a like element.
 2. The frame structure of claim 1, wherein several of said first elements are interconnected at abutted ends thereof, said interconnecting means further comprising plates having holes aligned with said channel means in adjacent element ends and fastening means extend through said holes and channel means for securing said plates and said ends together.
 3. The frame structure of claim 1 wherein individual interconnecting means are U-shaped, the transverse portion of the U being substantially flat and extending across a respective end of said element for flat abutment with like elements.
 4. The frame structure of claim 3 wherein at least two said first elements are interconnected at abutted ends thereof, said abutted ends having respective complimentary projecting and recess means for interfitting alignment thereof.
 5. The frame structure of claim 1, wherein at least a pair of said first frame elements are interconnected at abutted ends thereof and are both interconnected intermediate their ends to the ends of a brace beam frame element, the latter extending in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the first element and comprising a pair of spaced apart beams and V-shaped braced means for connecting the beams intermediate the ends thereof at the apex and ends of said V-shaped braced means.
 6. The frame structure of claim 5, wherein a plurality of opposing first frame elements and opposing brace beam elements are interconnected to form a main frame unit.
 7. The frame structure of claim 6, comprising a plurality of main frame units arranged in a predetermined spaced apart relation and means are provided for connecting said main frame units in said spaced apart relation.
 8. The frame structure of claim 7, wherein said last named means comprise prefabricated concrete beams connecting said units in planes parallel to the planes of said brace beam frame elements and said first frame elements.
 9. The frame structure of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of columns of first frame elements interconnected at abutted ends and disposed exteriorly of said main frame units and means connecting said columns to said units and to one another in spaced relation. 